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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Singapore - Value Hotel (Balestier)

This review is long overdue.

I realized I got some shots of this hotel when I was arranging my Singapore experience album recently.

When my wife, daughter and youngest kid, my eldest was left in Manila due to hectic college schedule, visited me in Singapore we stayed at this hotel from 29 July to 01 Aug 2011. Booked two rooms by net and didn't encounter any problem upon check-in.

I paid around 95++ USD per night or a total of 672 USD for 2 rooms for 3 nights.

I checked-out from Tresor Tavern hostel and arrived at Value hotel at around 10:30AM but our rooms were not yet ready so I left my bags and returned back at 2PM. Fetched my family from the airport. Due to their early morning flight we took a cab to reach this hotel. Fare was around 25 S$ plus night charge.

Our first night was blissful, of course.

Having explored Singapore for a week before their arrival, I was able to scout the hotel location and the easiest and cheapest mode of transportation in reaching the different destinations in our itinerary. I opted to ferry them daily to Toa Payoh Bus/MRT station by public bus; bus stops were directly in-front of the hotel. Several buses can bring us directly to different locations but the things is, Toa Payoh Bus/MRT station can give them an actual experience about the daily life in Singapore that is worth remembering. We queued for bus and MRT. Took our daily breakfast at Mc Donalds with officeworkers and students. Bought freshly baked biscuits and pastries from bread shop. In addition, there is a place within this area where you can buy second-hand mobile phones and flea market.

Back to the hotel, my family and I were completely satisfied in regards to cleanliness and services. Comfy bed and warm duvet. Coffee/Tea and bottled water were provided and replenished daily. Hair dryer was readily available.

Our windowless rooms were quite basic and without any cabinet. Just enough space to go around the bed and a tiny bath room. Nothing special on their toiletries but towels were just fine. Be forewarned however that in Singapore, shower and toilet are combined. The shower head is directly on top or near the water closet so once you take shower, the whole bathroom floor will be wet while mirror will be misty.

The rooms were tiled thus you can hear people walking along the hallways. On our second night, some chinese students in large group occupied several rooms beside our rooms. It was terrible, you can hear their footsteps, door banging and laughters and so on. Knowing that they're tourists like us I went out and after a scornful look at them we were able to have a good night sleep. This is one of the disadvantages of having tiled floor. All the sounds will be echoed and reflected back unlike in 4 or 5 stars hotels, all the rooms and hallways are thickly carpeted thus minimizing all noises. Anyhow, the following morning, the chinese students left in big bus thus we were able to enjoy our last night in the hotel.

Famished, you don't have any choice but to buy from a convenience store at the corner of this hotel building. Niether dining facility nor room service were available at the hotel. This is one of the reasons why I preferred to start and end our daily journey at Toa Payoh. We can take our dinner here before going back to hotel; even bring some midnight snacks. But the best thing about this convenience store was the availability of Tiger beer. 2 cans/bottle were enough to put me in relaxing and deep sleep.

In conclusion, there are several disadvantages in staying at this hotel. Mainly, it is quite far from Singapore's main attractions such as Chinatown, Bugis, Sentosa and so on. But we shouldn't forget that the whole experience, including the journeys to these places are a part of our Singapore experience. Price-wise, for the services, amenities and facility and considering I have kids with me, it was acceptable. However, in case you are in tight budget and without kids then I suggest book your hotel at Geylang area. You can have 50 to 60 USD per night room but be aware that hookers abound within this area; room quality might not be at par with Value hotel.

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Who is this guy?

This family man who used to work in a remote area somewhere in Middle East wandered during his monthly vacation to avoid losing his job a few years back. Time has come for him to go home.
During his wandering, he has become part time travel blogger and foodie but remained full time Dad.
After his wandering, he tried road tripping as well and nurturing his newfound baby, Happy Stripes.
Update, this guy is now working in central Africa and admiring it's beauty, people and culture.